IRB — Class Projects

Special note on research conducted as part of a course or class project

  • IRB approval must be obtained for research in courses that consist substantially of independent student research projects (e.g., PSY/BNS 350/351, directed study [400]). Additionally, IRB approval must be obtained for research in which the results are intended to expand general knowledge and the results may be disseminated as a presentation or publication outside of the course.

  • Students completing research as part of a class project in which the study is conducted primarily for instruction on research methods and is not intended for dissemination outside of the classroom (e.g., PSY 205, PSY/BNS 210, ANT/SOC 305, MAT130, GOV 336, and summer research assistantships) must complete the IRB Pre-Screening Form for In-Class Projects to ensure that their study is exempt from IRB review. This form must be submitted at least one week prior to the anticipated start of the investigation. Students are asked to provide a brief summary of their research questions, their data gathering methods, and information about the populations they plan to sample.

  • The course instructor and the IRB chair (or designated IRB member) will have access to these summaries. The instructor is responsible for notifying the IRB chair prior to the beginning of the term that his/her course will involve student research projects and provide the IRB with an estimate of when the proposals will be submitted. This information may affect the scheduled proceedings of the IRB.

  • Additionally, the instructor is responsible for ensuring that the students' proposals are submitted in a timely manner, and will notify the IRB chair or designated IRB member once the students' proposals have been submitted for review. The chair or appointed reviewer(s) will make recommendations to the instructor regarding which projects will require further IRB review and what level of review is needed. No research may move forward until it has been pre-screened and approved. If full IRB review is required, the student(s) will be responsible for submitting the required materials.

IRB Resources